Kawasaki to be Honored as Marque of the Year at 2011 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce that Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. will be celebrated as the 2011 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year, July 22-24, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

"Kawasaki put the 'Good Times' in motorcycling from the very beginning, and has become a world icon," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "We are really pleased that attendees at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will see firsthand the company and the people that brought us incredible machines like the Samurai and Avenger models, then the Mach III triple and the 900cc Z-1, all the way to today's Ninjas, Concours 1400s and Vulcans.

"With Kawasaki as our 2011 Marque of the Year, we're bringing the good times to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in a big way," Dingman said.

Kawasaki, well known as a leader in the performance category for the past 45 years in the United States, has won numerous AMA racing championships on pavement as well as dirt. The recognition for the company as AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year will include interactive opportunities for attendees to be immersed in the brand's history, as well as providing a chance for licensed riders to demo current Kawasaki motorcycles.

Kawasaki's Chris Brull, director of marketing communications, said: "This event is one of the industry's best opportunities for a brand to cement its historical relevance with the motorcycling community, and Kawasaki is honored to be able to build a performance bridge between its early days and the present."

Hosting a "Kawasaki City" at the Mid-Ohio venue for the event, the company will exhibit many of its groundbreaking models, including the famed 500cc Mach III triple and the 900cc Z-1, recognized as the industry's first true superbike.

According to Brull, Kawasaki riders attending the event will enjoy special perks, including a Kawasaki-only parking area and the chance to participate in a special lap of the Mid-Ohio track.

In addition to historical product displays at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Kawasaki will also showcase its Team Green amateur racing program, currently in its 30th year of providing support to young racers around the country. Since its inception, it has become the most successful program of its type, and has helped boost numerous eventual off-road national champions into the spotlight.

The winner of two Kawasakis -- a restored, classic Z1 and a new Z1000 -- will also be announced at the event. Tickets are still available, with a $5 suggested donation per ticket to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame for each chance to win. Call (614) 856-2222 or visit www.motorcyclemuseum.org for more info.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is America's grandest celebration of motorcycling heritage, with national championship vintage racing, the world's largest motorcycle swap meet, new bike demo rides, seminars, classic motorcycle shows, new product vendors, club displays, a used motorcycle sales area, and other displays. Enthusiasts from across the country regularly attend the three-day celebration.

Proceeds from AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days benefit the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The goal of the Hall of Fame, which is on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling's legends and heroes.